What They Did on Halloween
by quack675
Summary: Chase and Cameron play dress up.
1. Chapter 1, Don t Be Cruel

AN: This is part of a series. First: What They Did on Their Thanksgiving Vacation. Second: What They Did on Valentine's Day. Third: What They Did on the Fourth of July.

"I think we should just stay home and hand out candy," Chase said. "And wait for you to go into labor," he added, patting his wife's very round abdomen. The two were lying in bed, content to be underneath the warm blankets.

"Not happening," Cameron said. "Meggie was two weeks late. So I figure I've got at least a week before this baby comes."

"You know you can't go by your sister's pregnancy."

Cameron gave him a look that said, _Wanna bet?_ "My mom was late delivering all of us too. Parker women are like elephants. No cracks about my weight."

"Have I ever made a crack about your weight?" Chase asked, hurt. "You're not as big as you seem to think you are."

She had gained about forty pounds, depending on how much fluid retention she had from day to day. "You're sweet. You're lying, but you're sweet." She placed her hand on top of his. They could both feel the baby kick. "Come on. It'll be our last hoorah as child-free adults," she urged, trying to get Chase to agree to attend the hospital's charity costume ball.

"You're in no condition to party," Chase maintained.

"You just don't want to wear your costume," Cameron argued.

"You're right. I don't," he agreed with a huff.

"Next time go with me to pick out the costumes," Cameron suggested. "Besides, do you know how hard it is to find a costume that will fit when you're nine months pregnant? This way I can wear the jacket and my own black tights and still look the part." She slid out of the bed and went to their closet. She pulled a hanger from the wrack and showed him a red jacket with gold trim that was still in the clear plastic dry cleaner's bag.

"Come on, Chase. It'll be awesome," she insisted. She pulled out another costume. This one was a form-hugging sold black body suit with a tail.

"I'm not wearing that," Chase told her, sitting up in bed. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're supposed to be a lion tamer. Why do I have to be a _panther_?"

"I'm a _big cat_ tamer and the lion suit was way too big for you," she explained--again.

"Well, that one is way too small, so forget it. I'm not going."

"You are the very definition of a _party pooper_," Cameron sulked. "This is so much better than a big, heavy, sweaty lion suit. You'll be the hottest man at the party."

"And you'll look like a dominatrix with that whip and I'll have to listen to House and everyone else give me hell until next Halloween. I'm not going."

Cameron frowned and sniffed, then hung the costumes back in the closet and shut the door. She walked out of the bedroom without a word.

Chase sighed and got out of bed, immediately catching a chill when he left the warmth of the blankets. He stepped into his slippers and followed his wife.

He found her in the living room wrapped in the blanket they kept on the couch. A pile of crumpled white tissues were on the cushion beside her and she was dabbing at her eyes with another.

"That is so unfair," he said, sitting down on the couch and stealing half her blanket. "You've got super enhanced crying power." Between her hormonal induced ability to tear up over anything and the leverage she had by carrying his child, Chase was completely susceptible to her tears.

She leaned against him, "I just," she sniffed. "I really wanted this." She blew her nose. "It'll be fun and it's for a good cause and you'll great. Every woman there will envy me even if I do look like an elephant."

Chase sighed. "I want you to be happy." He rubbed her shoulder. "But I'd like to keep my dignity too. I tried that thing on. I look like… a really ugly stripper."

"You know how you're always telling me I'm not as fat as I think I am?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if you want me to believe in you, believe in me when I saw that you look great in that costume. You have a flat stomach--unlike me--and you have a tight ass and if anyone gives you hell it'll be because they're jealous that they can't get away with wearing something that tight.

"Can we at least leave the whip at home? Take a trumpet and we can be a high school mascot and a member of the marching band."

Cameron frowned, not liking this idea. "Being a big cat tamer is sexy. Being in the marching band is not."

"It's promoting cruelty to animals."

"I know that's high on your list of priorities," Cameron scoffed.

"Hey, I've given to the Humane Society."

"I think you're more worried about promoting cruelty to husbands."

"On behalf of myself _and_ all the lions, tigers, leopards, and panthers in the world, _we_ think it's a bad idea."

Cameron's eyes welled with tears again. She rubbed her tummy, "I guess your mommy isn't going to get to go to the party."

"Okay. Fine," Chase said, frustrated, but fully manipulated. "I'll go and I'll look like a male stripper from some kind of freak show."

Cameron kissed him on the cheek. "You're the best."

"For the record, I hope your water breaks before lunch and you're too busy giving birth to go to the ball." He abandoned the couch before she had a chance to swat him.

He went to work and it was business as usual, except that he kept flipping open his cell phone, hoping for a call from his wife.

"It works," Foreman told him, snatching the phone. "But you're going to run down the battery if you keep checking it." He handed the closed phone back to its owner. "Expecting a Halloween baby?" he asked.

"I sure hope so," he said, slipping the phone into his pocket. "She was due a few days ago."

"The kid will come when it gets good and ready," Foreman responded. "Everything's fine." He laughed. "Enjoy being free while it lasts," he advised.

"_I'm _ready," Chase told him.

"No, you're not," Foreman said.

Chase smiled. "You're right. I'm not. But I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He remembered getting the news that they were expecting a baby on Valentine's Day. He remembered that Cameron decided she wanted to have a baby almost a year ago on Thanksgiving. "That baby is coming today," he said figuring that holidays had played such a part in its being that it was only fitting.

Foreman laughed. "Then why are you at work? You hardly ever take a day off. You must have at least eight weeks worth of vacation time built up.

"Ten," Chase answered.

"Go home! You can be anxious and fidgety there and you won't wear out your cell phone's capacity to flip."

"Can you believe Cameron wants to go to the charity ball tonight?" Chase asked, ignoring Foreman's advice.

"Yeah, I can believe it," Foreman said. "You want her to rest and she doesn't want to slow down."

Chase nodded. "She's so stubborn."

"So are you," Foreman reminded him. "At least you are on Tuesdays."

"Too bad it's Friday," Chase said, regretting that he had given in about the party. He reached in his pocket and brought out his phone. There were no missed calls.


	2. Chapter 2, Young and Beautiful

"I don't want to go in," Chase said. He and Cameron were sitting in their car in the parking garage of the hospital. When he looked to the side, he could see the tail of his suit since it was wired to stay upright. He wanted to rip it off and beat whoever had designed the costume with it.

"You look amazing," Cameron exclaimed, pleased that she had gotten him this far.

He looked at himself in the rearview mirror. "I can't believe I let you do this to me," he scowled. The tip of his nose had been painted pink and whiskers had been painted on his cheeks. If that was not enough, he was wearing cat ears on top of his head. But the kicker was the studded red and gold collar around his neck which Cameron assured him he had to wear because it matched her jacket.

"I let you do _this_ to me," Cameron said, patting her stomach.

"That was your idea too," Chase reminded her. "One of your better ideas," he added, leaning over to kiss her.

She backed away from him. "No, I'll mess up your paint," she protested.

"Then we can't go in. Brilliant. Kiss me."

"No way," Cameron laughed. She undid her safety belt and opened the car door. "Are you coming?" she asked, getting out.

"I have a choice?" Chase asked hopefully.

"No," Cameron said, then she shut the car door.

Chase considered staying right where he was for the duration of the evening. There was no doubt in his mind that he would not be here, dressed in a body suit adorned with face paint and kitty ears and a collar, if his wife did not have the advantage of being pregnant and having him thoroughly wrapped around her little finger. Maybe that whip she was carrying was appropriate.

He sighed, defeated, and got out of the car to go face his humiliation like a man. Like a man masquerading as Cat Woman.

As they approached the hospital entrance, Chase started to turn around, but Cameron took his hand. "You are hot," she told him. "Trust me."

"Uh-huh," he murmured. "Don't you feel something, some twinge to indicate labor? Or at least heartburn?" he asked.

"You wish."

Chase avoided making eye contact with anyone as they made their way to the reception hall where the ball was being held. As soon as they arrived, they were whisked to the side of the registration table and someone took their photograph.

"Women who are nine months pregnant should not pose for photos," Cameron groaned.

They both spoke politely to others, exchanging pleasantries as they made their way through the crowd. Both were looking for people they usually associated with--Cameron wanted to say hello; Chase wanted advanced warning so he could turn in the other direction.

Chase felt a little better about his costume when he noticed Kutner. He was dressed in a replica of Elton John's famous duck suit. He was chatting up one of the surgical nurses, but Chase doubted he would get very far looking like a giant Donald Duck. It was then he noticed his tail again and was grateful that he was already married and did not have to deal with the dating game anymore. He silently wished Kutner luck and continued to follow his wife who stopped mingling long enough to try many of the hors d'oeuvres that were being offered.

"I'm starving," she said.

Chase was fairly certain that Taub was smirking when they made eye contact, but Chase returned the favor because Taub was dressed as Napoleon. His wife was in a gown and Chase assumed she was meant to be Josephine. It was an interesting choice for a couple given the historical duo's penchant for affairs and eventual divorce.

They found House and Wilson together at the bar. Cameron quickened her pace when she saw them. Chase followed, deciding he might as well get this over with.

"You came as a doctor?" Cameron asked House incredulously. The only _costume_ he was wearing was a lab coat over his normal clothing. Given his aversion to them, she supposed it did count as a costume for him.

"Mad scientist," House responded. He pulled a Petri dish out of his lab coat pocket. "I have a super race of nematodes in this thing."

"Cuddy said he couldn't stay and drink free beer if he didn't get with the theme," Wilson explained. He was wearing a cowboy hat, flannel shirt, jeans, boots, and a very large belt buckle. He looked like he belonged in the Village People.

"Wow," House said, looking Chase up and down. "You're making me question my sexuality here." He turned to Cameron, "Can I borrow that whip?"

For a moment Chase was glad his cheeks were painted with whiskers because they might help hide the blush that was creeping across his face. "I look ridiculous," Chase grumbled. He was surprised when House took the whip from Cameron and lightly flicked him with it. "Do you mind?" he sputtered.

"_Meow_," House responded. He turned to the side, "Hey, Foreman," he called.

A man in a came turned around and they could see that Foreman was dressed as a vampire, even wearing false teeth to complete the look. He approached them and broke into a smile. "I see why you were hoping for a Halloween baby," he laughed.

House flicked Chase again. "Brings new meaning to the word _whipped_, doesn't it?" House, Wilson, and Foreman all laughed heartily while Chase cut his eyes toward Cameron.

She gave him a sympathetic smile, realizing his hesitation to wear the suit had not been without foundation.

"You all just wish you could squeeze into something like this and not be embarrassed to leave the house," she said smugly, retrieving her whip.

"Who says _I'm_ not embarrassed to have left the house like this?" Chase asked.

"You worry too much," Cameron told him.

Chase rolled his eyes. He did not mean to spoil Cameron's night of what she considered fun, but nothing in him could muster any enthusiasm for this experience.

You two should win in the couple's category," Cuddy said, approaching them. She fingered the material of Cameron's jacket. "What a cute idea for you!"

"You look amazing," Cameron told Cuddy, admiring her Cleopatra costume.

"Thank God," House interrupted, ogling Cuddy. "I'm straight again."

Wilson and Foreman laughed. Chase attempted to smile so he would not be wholly negative.

Cuddy took House's wrist and looked at his watch since she was not wearing one of her own. "It's almost seven o'clock. I need to introduce the band soon."

"Oh," Cameron gasp, feeling a sharp pain. She grabbed her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Chase asked, overwhelmed with excitement and worry at the same time.

She exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I--oh!" she grabbed her stomach again, feeling another surge.

"You're in labor?" Chase asked, his voice a higher pitch than usual

"I," Cameron said, not exactly sure if this was labor or indigestion.

"Come on!" Chase took her hand. "Let's get you to the maternity ward. Do you need a wheelchair? Do you want me to carry you?"

She laughed. "I think I can walk. Thank you."

Foreman clapped Chase's back as he passed. "Looks like you might get that Halloween baby after all."


End file.
